At the request of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Office of Managing Director (OMD), and to ensure wide exposure of the Universal Service Administrative Company's (USAC) solicitations, the FCC is alerting the public that USAC has posted on its website, the Request for Quotes (RFQ) for two (2) EMC® RecoverPoint Generation 5 Appliances with three (3) Years Support and one (1) EMC VFCache Card and Software/550GB Card. The RFQ is available electronically at http://www.usac.org/about/tools/procurement. The closing date for quotes is April 8, 2013 at 5:00PM Eastern Time. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for  EMC appliances and support.  This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. No additional notification will be issued by the FCC. ALL COMMUNICATIONS IN REFERENCE TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES SHALL BE THROUGH USAC'S Contracting Office. The RFQ describes the services requested and provides instructions on how to respond.

BACKGROUND: USAC is a not-for-profit Delaware corporation. The FCC has appointed USAC as the permanent administrator of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and the universal service support mechanisms (Support Mechanisms): High Cost (HC), Low Income (LI), Rural Health Care (RHC) and Schools & Libraries (SL) as set forth in Title 47, Part 54, Section 701 of the Code of Federal Regulations. As part of its administrative function, USAC performs, subject to FCC oversight, the billing, collection, and disbursement functions associated with the USF and the Support Mechanisms. Additional information concerning USAC and its administration of the USF and Support Mechanisms can be obtained from USAC's website located at: www.usac.org.